donny79

I installed LEDs in the inner smaller headlights in the lower bulb space, I can’t figure out how to turn them on without the highbeams, even with highbeams on the lower LEDs don’t light up, I tried everything on the dial and also the light options on the speedometer options. Any suggestions?

S. Madman

A picture would help.

donny79

The inner headlight by the grill, I put LEDs in the bottom bulb space, I can’t turn on the smaller headlights without highbeams

S. Madman

What year is this 350?

Arrie

Those are not head lights. They are parking lights.

donny79

It’s a 2010

donny79

Parking lights? When I turn on the highbeams they turn on I also seen same car people driving with just those on

donny79

Your right they parking lights, I can’t get them to turn on except with the highbeams can’t turn them on by themselves

Arrie

Don't you have a position on your light switch for the “Parking Lights” next to the main head light position. This position should turn these lights ON but I think you need to disable the automatic Hi-beam function in the cluster menu for this to work.

In my car I cannot turn head lights OFF from the switch if automatic Hi-beams are active but when they are not the head lights turn OFF at “0” position. It may be the same for the parking lights too. I have not tried it…yet…

donny79

I don’t have automatic highbeam option in the cluster, I only have brightness, disable running lights, and 1 more but none about highbeams

Arrie

I have to apologize as I remembered it wrong. In my 2010 E550 I have to disable the Daytime Running Lights and then turn the light switch to the "Parking Light" position next to the head light position. That turns the "Inner Headlights", the parking lights, ON. If I turn the light switch left from "0" I can select which side parking lights to use. The position next to Head Lights gives them both. But the DRLs must be disabled.

bmwpowere36m3

I don’t believe you can “just” turn on the parking lights. You can activate the standing mode (left or right arrows, full CCW), but again I believe it might only light up the rear taillight.

Parking lights come on automatically with the headlights in “auto” mode.

Assuming it’s a US car with DRLs, not fogs… those will automatically go on whenever the car is running (day/night).

donny79

Oh so I’m the cluster options, I have to disable to DRL in order to get the parking lights on, I’m going to try it, thanks a lot I been going nuts playing with dial… thank you

Arrie

You can believe or not. I just know how it is in my car.

I cannot turn head lights off in dark with the light switch in “0” position unless I disable DRLs. Car is totally dark when I do that and when I turn the light switch to “Parking light” position next to the head light position the parking lights only come on in front of the car

I have no idea what logic Mercedes has with this but this is how it works in my 2010 E550.

I have not tried it on my 2013 S550 yet but would not be surprised if it worked the same way.

Arrie

Well, the S550 seems to be all different. It will put the parking lights ON with everything else OFF when I just turn the light switch to the parking light position next to head light position regardless of the DRLs enabled or not.

There seems to be a problem with my car’s Left/Right parking lights. I cannot get that working no matter what I do with the selections with the switch and cluster menu. Also tried with car running and off, no difference.

I don’t really care of this function anyway as I hardly would ever need it. It could also be Mercedes disabled the Left/Right selection after moving to very low power consumption LED lights as I’m sure the original “need” for the one side only parking lights was to minimize power consumption from the battery. They just did not replace the light switch yet in my car model year? Or there really is something wrong with the parking light control n my car. Other S drivers could verify this…

bmwpowere36m3

Relax Arrie, it wasn’t directed at you… however I was wrong. Looked at our car, not sure what I was thinking and going off memory wasn’t a smart move, lol. There is a position for parking lights, among standing (left/right), auto and headlight on.

So ‘11 E350 with P1 (halogens), car unlocked, key not in the ignition, switch in either the standing or parking light position will illuminate the small light in the inner light assembly.

Arrie

Correction to the above. The Left/Right parking lights work in my S550. I guess it needs to be dark enough as the first time I tried it was bright daylight. Now I did it in dark enough for the head lights to come on and they work fine. Kind of makes sense as why would you need parking lights if it is not dark enough to need them...?